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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Ball Jar Love -- Pepper Jelly

I know it's been a while since I last posted, and I apologize! With school starting, the tennis season underway, and the Greek Festival at my church this weekend, things have been BUSY!! But I'm back :).

Saturday was International Can It Forward Day, and although I didn't know it at the time, I canned some our of garden veggies on that very day. (A special thanks to Dixie Delights for bringing it to our attention! And she's offering a fabulous giveaway to boot!) She brought up a very good question.....what's your favorite way to use a Ball jar? Let me tell you, the wheels were turning! I grew up with a Southern mama and live not all that far from Ball State (named for the brothers who manufactured the beloved jar in Muncie, Indiana). We have tons of them of all colors and sizes. There were too many uses running through my head to choose a favorite. So.....

In the spirit of canning and all things Ball jar, I thought this would be the perfect week to share a few of my favorite uses for them. One of my very favorite summer time uses is to make pepper jelly. Our pepper plants produce abundantly and we can never seem to use them all. This jelly is the perfect solution. Serve it over cream cheese with crackers, the perfect appetizer in a pinch. Or, although it may sound crazy, spread a thin layer on an egg sandwich. Just trust me, it's delicious.

Pepper Jelly

Ingredients:

10-12 jalapenos (or combination of hot peppers)

1/2 - 1 green bell pepper

1 1/2 cup white vinegar

1/2 t. salt

6 cups sugar

1 pouch Certo liquid fruit pectin

Directions:
1. In food processor, finely chop peppers. (Word to the wise, wear gloves!!) Remove seeds and ribs if you wish to remove some of the heat from the peppers. I usually do a combination.